Tube inflating machine



May 21, 1935. E: EGER 2,001,777

TUBE INFLATING MACHINE Filed Ndv. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NJNVENTOR. [AW/'7 f A I ORNEY May 21, 1935. E. EGER TUBE INFLATING CHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov; 29, 19 32 INVEN TOR. 7 [6' 5% Patented May 21, 1935 .New Jersey Application November29, 1932; Serial No. 544,790

U v 3:.Claims, (o1, 152 111) g p v The -machirie fOrming the" subject rri at'ter of" Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the machine coms v t kj has for itslpurpose to inflate inner tubesto apredetriiined pressure "priorto as- In general,- it consists of means forlholding the tube with 'the valvefstem m aliglnnientwith an" air chuck, and meansgdeterminable on the swell-- ing of the tubeto ioperate electric contacts which inturn actuateasolenoid or magnet 'forclosing orbpening a valvegleading t9 t a In 'th chaise omit manufacture it is fre quently necessary to sendoutj large shipments of fajs'sembledj tires and tubesf Tubes assembled fiated! soth'at the tubefwill be rigid enough to supportfits'own annular form} 'lo accomplish peditious incineration and this perjsuon; ithere'tofore has "been. generally customary for an operator toapply mar 511F915" chuck to thevalve stem ofthe tube andinflate the tube to such a eegree as his discretion would dictate, ASj'agl'eSlllt thetubes were inflatedin various degrees; This lack of uniformity caused inconvenience .in ilriserting thetube within the' tire casing. The machine oi! the present inven t io pvem me mes objectionable features and provid means for inflating tubes which is ex uniform in! its'iresulte. ing treatmentfof the tubes.

j The. invention is illustrated in ingdrawings, inwhich; I

jj' Figure .1 is a front elevation of the complete mil interior, I l f- 2:1 a

side view of the sa s-is, asgps y broken awayftoillustrate the interior; i r g r 3. shows a diagrammatic perspective view (Wheaties-g elements of the machine v operate independently of each other. Therefore; in the description one unit only will be described.

The purposeof incorporating thetwo units on one machine is so that one operator may engage a tube with one inflating unit, and while the air is passing into the tube he can engage a tube with the second unit. In this way tubes can be inflated as fast as they can be engaged and disengaged with the inflating machine.

the" accbrnpa k irie partly" broken w to. illustratef'the.

25 bears against the screws 23 and completes an prises a box-like framework of structural members l encased in a covering of sheet material 2! Casters 3 convert the machine into a portable arrangement so that'itmay be moved about for the convenience of the operatorand according to the location of stock with which it operates. on top of the i framework, the sheetmaterial di verges to form a large tray 4' on which the deflated tubes may be stored within reach of anoperator. -A shelf 5 (Figs.4 and 5) fastened to theframework by screws 6 extends from the machine and acts as a support from which the tube'is suspended. The shelf is slotted so that the valve stem assembly may extend downward. Beneath the shelf, bracket-like members! form with the UNITED?STATESv PATENT OFFICE. i

p I eon INFLATI NGMACHINE Ernst Eger, Grosse PointePark lvlich assignor, a by mesne assignments, to United StatcsRubber r a ,Companm-Newlork, N. Y a corporation of shelf a slideway into which the-bridge washer" 8 of the tube valve assembly is slidable. This arrangement restricts upward or downward movement of the valve assembly but at thesame time its loose'end movement in the slideway allows quick engagementfand disengagement with the tube supporting means. i i

When the tubeis thus held by the engaging means',-the valve stein comes into alignment with an air chuck I 0 having a chuck valve thereinwhich is opened by the pressure exerted by a valve stem. This chuck connects with a pipe I lpivoted to a bracket IZattached to the frame outward beyond the chuck for the purpose of providing a lever-like control so that the operator can press same to lower the chuck when the tube is being inserted. After the tube is insertedinto" l the engaging means the operator releasesthe lever-like plate and the chuck-their in alignment with the'valvestem"contacts with same inopera tive engagement. "A' spring l4 interposed between the plate l3 {and abracket [5-, attached to the framework, provides upward tension of the air chuck, while a stud l6 and wing nut I! restrict its upward movement.

As the tube becomes inflated its cross section expands, operatinga tilting rod l8 which controls electrical contacts, the operation of which results work. -Aplate l3 fastened to the pipe u extends in closing the valve through which air is supplied to the tube. The rod I8 is pivotally supported by a bracket l9 and contains at one end an adjustable tube contact member 20 fastened to the rod' l8 by a screw 2|. The opposite end of the rod terminates with a. horizontal crosspiece made of electrical insulating material. ends of this crosspiece vertical screws'23 are disposed in alignment with cups 24. A spring strip At the for controlling the amount of pressure desired within the tube. A stop 31 extending downward from the weight strikes the framework and restricts the downward movement of the tube contact member so as to provide sufficient clearance for the insertion of the deflated tube thereunder.

Angle arms 32 extend from the framework and are positioned on each side of the tube contact member at a height from the shelf 5 about sufiicient to measure the proper inflating cross sec-p The purpose for these arms is tional distance. to preventthe'tube from inflating, at this point, into -a circular cross section and to force it to inflate into a more horizontal cross section. The result is that a greater uniformity can be attained, for the ounces of pressure'within the tube are kept more constant, and local abnormal swellingof the tube at thispoint is greatlyminimized; The sheet covering 5!, which encloses the end of rod 18 and the tube contact member 2!), acts ,as-a protective means for these elements. A valve'33 connected to a source of fluid pressure bypipe line 34, preferably but not necessarily connected'to a source of .fiuid pressure-external tothe machine, is controlled by: actuation of a, solenoid or magnet 35. This valve is fastened to the frame member 36 by bracket 31. A flexible hose 38 connects the valve with the air chuck pipe 'l L The connection between the valveand the solenoid comprises a lever'39 pivotally connected to a link 40 hinged to the plunger 4|. The lever 39 isalso pivoted to a bracket 42 fastened to; the frame-member 3B. Aspring 43 -attaches the link 40 to a bracket 44 extending from the framework to hold the valve 33 openduring the time .thesolenoid remains. inan inactive statep, t

A relay switch 45 intercepts the wiring connection between the mercury 'cup contacts and the solenoid, so that the burden-of theload current will be assumed by the relay instead of. by the sensitive mercury contactswitch. Wires 4B and extend to-a source of electricity and connect with the solenoid 35 and relay 45 respectively. Wire 48.join s wire 45 with the terminal 28, from which. the circuit continues through-the mercury contact switch-to terminal 29 thence to the relay firth-rough wire:49.- Fromv the relay 45 the wire tilextends to-the wire 4-! through the solenoid 35. ,In the operation of the. device,,a tube is; in.-

serted into the engaging means 5 and the valve stem contacts with the air chuck l0. Immediately the tube begins to inflate. Upon nearing the proper inflation the expanding tube engages the tube contact member 20, causing the tilting rod I3 to move about its pivot. This lowers the contact screws in the mercury cups 24. When the tube is properly expanded the mercury contact switch closes'and current is transmitted to the relay 45 closing the circuit of the solenoid 35. The solenoid plunger 4| is drawn upward, lever 39 releases a push button of valve 33 and a spring within the valve shuts off the air supply. The elements remain in this state or position until the tube is removed. When this takes place the tilting rod l8 assumes its inactive position, the circuit is broken, and spring 43 through the lever 39 opens valve 33 inreadiness for the next tube to be applied.

The modification illustrated by Fig. 6 operates in substantially the same manner except that the valve 33-is omitted and the solenoid plunger operates from the; top of the solenoid to pull the air chuck downand away from the valve stem when the propeninflation is obtained. Escape of air when the chuck is pulled down is preventedby the usual valve inthe chuck l0.-

Whilel have shown anddescribed a present preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to-be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within'the spiritofi the invention and. the scope of the appendedv claims. i Q

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

, 1. Inflating mechanism for: an assembled tube and valve stem comp-rising means for clamping a valve stem, spaced means disposed adjacent to the .clampingmeans forlimiting the local infla tion ofthe tube,,'and means for engaging the tube intermediate the spacedlimiting means for .controllingthe supplyfofifluid to thetube. t

2. Inflating mechanism. for an' assembled tube and valve stem, comprising means for clamping a valve stem, me'ans disposed adjacent tov the clamping means for limiting the local inflation of the tube, andm'eans for engaging the tube within the area controlled. by the limiting means for controlling the supply of fluid to the tube.

3. Infiatingmechanism for assembled tubes, valve stems and bridge washers comprising a clamp having pairs, oi. spaced overhanging bracketsdefining an openfaced pocket for the space for the insertion and removal of the base of the valve stem and portions of the tube.-

ERNST EGER. V 

